


Truth

by Retasudesu



Category: Arashi (Band)
Genre: M/M
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2015-12-30
Updated: 2016-01-20
Packaged: 2018-05-10 10:47:02
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 3
Words: 11,296
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/5582761
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Retasudesu/pseuds/Retasudesu
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Ohno Satoshi lived a perfect, happy life. He was raised in a loving family, enrolled to a famous college with his bestfriends, and had a special someone that he'd possibly marry someday. His life was perfectly planned out and Ohno thought it'd stay that way, but then Matsumoto Jun came along with the very purpose to ruin his life...or so he thought, but Ohno finally started doubting his so-called 'perfect life', which turned out to be not that perfect after all.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> Inspired by the novel Hopeless by Colleen Hoover.   
> Unbetaed.   
> P.s Ohno is NOT underage in this story. Just in case.

His life used to be fine.

Ohno still remembered his mother’s breakfast; a warm, honey toast with a glass of milk for him and a cup of coffee for his father. They’d all sit together on the table, him and his mother talking about their plan for the day while his father was half-listening as he read the newspaper. They’d finished their breakfast, and Ohno would receive a warm kiss on his cheeks before he went to college, in which his friends, Aiba and Nino, would immediately circled their hands around his small body as they walked into their lockers, with laughter accompanying their every steps. They’d sneak out to the nearest fast food restaurant at lunch, complaining about the lessons and homework and lecturers, and then went back to the college only to complain more in the end on their group chat. And then Ohno’d go home to have a lovely, pleasant dinner with his parents, and after that he’d go to his room, where his cousin, Sho, would usually wait for him, propped in his bed with a small, mischievous smirk on his face because he must have climbed the ladders again to sneak into Ohno’s room. Then they’d talk about a lot of things, and sometimes Sho’d help him study, and most of the night they’d fall asleep together in his bed, snuggled against each other without a single care for the world.

But now, those things seemed so distant from him, like they happened to someone else. It wasn’t because he was separated for miles from his old life, but also because for the last few days, all that he has believed in his life turned out to be a joke. It turned out that he has been living a lie for almost fifteen years, a cruel lie that ruined every single thing in his whole life, to the point that Ohno was barely left with nothing but confusion, anger, and hatred. He felt betrayed; he was torn, and he didn’t know what to do. He just lied there, on a stranger’s bed with his eyes that wouldn’t stop producing tears staring at the ceiling, wishing that this, too, was a lie, a nightmare, and he’d wake up in his room, safe and sound.

But then the person beside him stirred; the ceiling was soon blocked out from his sight, changed by a pair of concerned brown eyes. Jun’s hands reached out to cup his cheeks, thumbs wiping his leaking tears as his face confronted into those of great pain, like he was feeling it too – like he knew how awful Ohno felt right now. “I’m sorry.” Jun whispered painfully. “Satoshi, I’m so sorry. You shouldn’t have met me – I shouldn’t have – _we shouldn’t have_.”

Ohno agreed. _They shouldn’t have_. Whatever Jun meant by that, he agreed. For a moment, staring up at Jun’s eyes that were filled with unshed tears, Ohno almost wished he had never known him. He wished that Jun had never called out for him that day in the library; he wished that Jun simply didn’t exist, so he could go on with his life like nothing ever happened. For a moment, Ohno blamed him. He blamed Jun for coming into his life and ruined everything that he has believed in for fifteen years in less than a year. He blamed Jun for ruining his perfectly planned life; his plan to study abroad, his plan to someday, probably, married Sho because that was the right thing to do.

Jun came in and destroyed everything.

 _If he wasn’t here, I’d be alright and I’d continue my old life just fine_.

But that, Ohno realized, was a life full of lie.

So he couldn’t really blame him; staring up at Jun’s eyes, Ohno knew that he couldn’t find it in himself to actually blame him. Perhaps Jun destroyed everything, yes, but that, somehow, felt like the right thing to do no matter how painful it was. Ohno lost everything, but not quite.

Because Jun came in and destroyed everything, and then he stayed.

So he reached up to Jun, and he pulled him in for a kiss. Jun reacted almost immediately, like he needed their lips to be with each other so bad because there was no other way to find a small chance of relief other than kissing with each other. Their naked bodies were pressed against each other as they kissed, and Ohno’s head spun; not only because of their closeness but also because he knew that this was _right_. Over all the wrong things that were happening in his life right now, this was the only thing that felt so _right_.

Their lips parted, and Jun rested his head against his nape while Ohno hugged him tight, not willing to let go of the last thing that he have.

“I’m sorry.” Jun said again, his lips warm and wet against Ohno’s skin. “Satoshi, I’m so sorry.”

Ohno blinked, and a few more tears fell from his eyes. “No.” He whispered. “No, don’t be sorry.”

“But we shouldn’t have –“

“No.” Ohno said, but his voice trembled because now he couldn’t help it; the sobs were wrecking his body. “I need you.” He gasped out then. “I need you to be in my life, so don’t ever be sorry for coming into my life.”

“But I ruined it.”

“But you stayed, and that is all that matters.” Ohno hugged him even tighter. “ _Don’t leave me, Jun_.”

“Never.” Jun’s voice came out clear and strong, and he hugged him back, protectively pulling him into his embrace. “ _I’m never leaving you again, Satoshi_.”

And that was all the conviction he needed. He lied there with Jun warm against his body, and as he stared at the ceiling again, he wondered how to get his life right again. He wondered about what to do from now on, and if there was any way to fix his ruined life.

Or perhaps, it was already ruined for good.


	2. Chapter 2

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> He didn’t understand – why would he look so desperate like that? Ohno stared at him in wonder as the man kept on staring, much to his embarrassment; he was pretty sure he looked like a mess with his simple t-shirt and baggy jeans and boring black apron, and worse, he pulled back his long bangs and had Aiba tied it up playfully it looked like he was sprouting a fountain from his head.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Unbetaed.

“I still don’t get why you insist on working in a library like this.”

It was the 25th time Nino has said that; Ohno knew, because it has been almost three weeks he worked as a librarian, and every day, without fail, Nino would asked him that question – the persistent man would even send him a message on weekend when they didn’t meet each other, asking him on why he insisted on working as a librarian.

And, as always, Ohno ignored him. Instead, he leisurely pushed his trolley that was full of heavy books along the high-stacked bookshelves, once in a while stopping to put the books back in the racks. Nino was never one to be ignored though; he fell into his place beside Ohno, trying to keep up with his slow pace when Ohno could see that Nino was getting a bit bouncy, if not annoyed. “Seriously, Oh-chan. Why?”

Ohno rolled his eyes, but refrained from answering.

“Maybe Oh-chan has a special someone he likes.” Aiba, who has been watching and trailing behind them quietly finally chirped up energetically. “And that special someone always comes to this library at a fixed time, and the only time they can see each other is –“

“You read too much _manga_.” Nino cut him off without even looking at Aiba, and he even ignored the small whimper Aiba let out when Nino did that. “Oh-chan, I need to know. I need to know why, out of all part-time jobs you can do in the whole world, you have to choose the most boring one.”

Ohno refrained himself from sighing; if it was someone else, Ohno would’ve probably gotten real angry and told them to mind their own business, but he could never do that to his friends – he knew that they were just genuinely worried, or curious, the line was thin between those two. Holding back a sigh, Ohno finally turned to them and playfully said, “I need easy money without having to work my asses too much.”

Nino’s eyes twinkled at that, and he grinned a little. “Selling your body will do much better, you know. But ah, you need to use your ass then.”

“Nino!” Aiba protested playfully. “Don’t instill the idea on Oh-chan’s pure mind! I don’t want to stumble across him someday in a porn movie!”

“That wouldn’t happen!” Ohno said bashfully, and he looked away. “Like anyone would want me to star in a porn movie – I’m…” Ohno thought of a reason, and then he finished lamely. “Short.”

“Your reason is invalid – I am short too, yet I’m pretty sure I can make it if I want to.” Nino said flatly despite the horror that flashed in Aiba’s eyes as he said that. “But Oh-chan, I’m being serious here. Why are you suddenly working?”

Ohno shrugged in defeat, and after putting some books back in the racks, he dug around in his pocket and pulled out some money, and then he gave it to Nino. “Why don’t you go and buy us some fries and milkshakes, Nino?”

Nino eyed him with squinted eyes, but Ohno knew that it wasn’t because he was giving him money, but more because he was trying to distract him. Nino took the money though, despite still eyeing Ohno like he couldn’t understand how his mind worked, and he said, “How about the burgers? You can’t distract me enough with just fries and milkshakes.”

“Burgers are fine too.”

“Oh, can I have two burgers?” Aiba asked, and Ohno turned to him with a small smile.

“Yes Aiba-chan, you can have two burgers.”

“Yosh!” He fisted the air happily and then he turned to Nino. “Come on, Neen! Let’s go buy em!”

Nino was still staring at him even as he stuffed the money to his pocket, but Ohno knew that he won this round, even more when Nino wasn’t protesting at all when Aiba dragged him towards the exit. He did, however, yelled out, “We’re not finished, Oh-chan!” and making all the library visitors turned to Nino with an annoyed look on their faces, while Ohno couldn’t help the small smile that was forming on his lips as his friends left.

However, he didn’t miss how naturally Aiba circled his hand around Nino’s waist, and how naturally Nino leaned to him.

Slowly, he started pushing the trolley again through the aisles; even though he’d like to be quiet, the trolley moved with a loud _crack_ every time he made a turn, and Ohno have to, sometimes, bow down in an apology to the visitors whenever they stared at him with a disturbed look. It couldn’t be helped though – this was the only trolley the library had, and Ohno needed it to help bringing the books around, so Ohno has get used to apologizing and trying to be invisible, though it wasn’t really possible with how noisy the trolley was. Most of the times, he managed to do it; most of the times, he managed to blend in the background, surrounded by the comfortable quietness of the library with occasional sounds of flipping pages and scribbles of pen and hushed conversations. When the books he had to return weren’t so many like today, Ohno’d take them by hands and he’d wander down the aisle, loving the fact that everyone’s attention was on the books and not him; loving the fact that for once, he was just a mere stranger, a supporting character in somebody’s life that no one paid much attention to.

Which was exactly why he wanted to work as a librarian.

He could never tell this to his friends, because he was afraid that they wouldn’t understand, but sometimes Ohno was _tired_. At home, he was being pampered a lot by his parents, which pretty understandable since he was the only child they have, but even then sometimes it felt too stifling. Ohno didn’t mind it much at first, because he had his friends to distract him, but it has changed when the two started dating; Ohno knew that it was bound to happen, and he was the one who pushed for it to happen, but he hasn’t prepared himself for the weird feeling he had when the two were being a bit…touchy with each other. Ohno knew that they held back a lot for him, and he appreciated them for that, but still, Ohno’d look at them and wonder how could he ever see them in the same way anymore – how could he ever see them as the same old, air-headed Aiba-chan or the same old, sarcastic Nino that he grew up with since elementary school when something has clearly shifted between the two of them?

So he did the only thing he knew of – busying himself. He accepted the offer of being a librarian whole-heartedly despite his parent and friends protests – his parents mostly said that they still could support him without him having to work, while his friends whined that their time together has decreased thanks to his work, though Ohno knew that they were actually afraid that Ohno was feeling left out with the two of them dating.

But it wasn’t actually it at all – he just wanted some time alone from everyone, from everything. Sometimes, he just didn’t want to _matter_.

And being a librarian fitted his wish perfectly.

He let out a tired sigh as he peered into the trolley; he still got a few books left, and then after that he could probably go home with Aiba and Nino while eating his shares of burgers – that was, if they bought him any. His mind was busy with the hope that they’d buy him two burgers as he made another turn to the photography section, and there, he saw a man leaning against one of the rack with a book on his hands, his eyes staring at the pages intently.

Ohno stopped moving to take a look; he has been working long enough to know which ones were the regular visitors of the library, and this man standing in front of him wasn’t one. He was looking really stylish despite the simple white shirt and brown khaki he wore – Ohno decided then that maybe it was the way he stood. He looked like a model posing for a magazine’s cover, only he didn’t; one look at him and Ohno knew that it has been a part of this man – he was so graceful it was almost amazing. He was radiating confidence with his whole being, and it was something to be expected with that kind of face, Ohno thought. He had such long eyelashes, high cheekbones, perfectly styled brown hair, smooth skin, full, reddish lips – for a moment, Ohno thought he was a sculpture someone from art department had accidentally left.

But the perfect sculpture – err…man, moved slightly to turn the pages, before then he settled back to his position, never once realizing that Ohno had openly stared at him for a while. This snapped him out of his daze though; shaking his head slightly, he finally moved towards the man, stopping the trolley before him, taking some books from it and finally moved to stand in front of the man to return some books. “Excuse me.” He mumbled as he passed the man.

The man only hummed distractedly, his eyes never leaving the book – Ohno glanced over curiously once, and it seemed he was reading a book about landscape or something. Ohno didn’t dare to stare for long though; he quietly put the books back in the rack, rearrange some books and making sure they were in their right places, when suddenly the man spoke up. “Say, do I have to make a member card to borrow a book?”

Ohno turned around, but the man was _still_ not looking at him, and Ohno frowned a bit at that – he was so rude. “If you’re going to this college –“

“I am.”

“Then you only have to show us your ID.”

“Oh.” The man nodded. “Thanks.”

“You’re welcome.” Ohno said, and then he finally moved back to take his trolley, and he pushed them past the man. “Excuse me.” He said once again as he slowly left the man.

The man hummed again, and it seemed he finally peered up to see him, but Ohno wasn’t sure because he was eager to finish his job quickly and leave to eat something.

That was when he heard a sharp intake of breath from behind him.

“Hey.” The man from before called out, but Ohno wasn’t sure if he directed it at him, so he continued walking. “Hey, you.”

_Does he notice me staring? Crap, what reason should I give if he confronted me?_

“Hey!” His voice raised. “Sir, hey!”

_Dammit, did he just call me sir?_

Ohno turned around to defend himself and say that he was just turning 21 a few months back and he was pretty sure he wasn’t looking like an old man, though perhaps he wasn’t that attractive, but it all stopped short when the man was already grabbing on his shoulders to look at him closely, startling him. Ohno gasped in a surprise, and he was about to get angry at him for touching him, but again, he couldn’t find his words.

Because the man looked desperate.

He didn’t understand – why would he look so desperate like that? Ohno stared at him in wonder as the man kept on staring, much to his embarrassment; he was pretty sure he looked like a mess with his simple t-shirt and baggy jeans and boring black apron, and worse, he pulled back his long bangs and had Aiba tied it up playfully it looked like he was sprouting a fountain from his head.

The man didn’t seem to care that much though, because his eyes wouldn’t stop staring at Ohno’s face as if he was looking for something that Ohno didn’t know he’d have.

“Your name.” The man finally said after a while. “What is your name?”

Ohno doubted on telling him for a moment, but then he remembered he was wearing his nametag, so with a huff of annoyance, he said, “Can’t you read my nametag?”

The man glanced at his nametag for a while, and as weird as it was, Ohno saw relief washing over his face. “Ohno…Satoshi?”

“Yes.” Ohno replied, still confused with the man’s ever-changing expression. 

“Is that true, though?” The man insisted, and the desperation was back on his eyes. “Is that your real name? Is Ohno Satoshi your real name?”

Ohno almost laughed. Almost. “Why would I use a fake name, _sir_?”

The man looked almost embarrassed when he said that, and he finally averted his eyes, though his hands were still holding on Ohno’s shoulder tightly. “You got a point there.” He mumbled. “I just – I just want to make sure.”

Ohno was about to ask him what he meant by that, but then a loud voice was booming across the library.

“HANDS OFF OH-CHAN, YOU ASSHOLE!”

The man’s hands were off from him right when Ohno turned around to see Nino and Aiba charging towards them; Nino immediately pulled him away from the man’s reach, and he tucked him safely behind him while Aiba was looking him all over, as if afraid that he was hurt. “Guys, what –“

“What business do you have with _our_ Oh-chan?” Nino hissed as he crossed his arms in front of his chest. The man looked annoyed with him, and Ohno could tell that he was trying to hold his composure as he stuffed his hands into his pocket.

“He just looks like someone I know…” The man mumbled uncomfortably.

“You do know that’s the worst pick-up line ever, right?” Nino sneered, and while Ohno thought it was true, he couldn’t help but wonder who he looked alike with, since there was no way someone as perfect as this man before him could be trying to hit on him. “It’s too bad though, Oh-chan here already have a boyfriend.”

Ohno shot Nino a look, but he said nothing. Instead he stared up at the man, who was staring back at him with a hint of disappointment marring his handsome face. For a moment, Ohno was considering explaining the situation to him, but the man shrugged, and he walked away without saying anything, back to the photography section.

This time, he finally spoke up. “Nino, what was that about –“

“Don’t you know him?!” Nino cut him off harshly. “Seriously, Oh-chan?”

Ohno turned to Aiba for help, and the taller man smiled worriedly as he whispered, “He’s Matsumoto Jun. Remember that rumor about a student that was beaten so badly he became deaf?” Ohno nodded; the college was on uproar at that time, but Ohno was never one to really pay attention to such things – he knew it happened, but he didn’t know to whom. “Well, the one who beat that poor guy is him.”

“No way…” He whispered in disbelief.

“It’s true.” Nino said. “The college never published the names, but we’d always find a way to find out. So anyway, it seems Matsumoto Jun here got into an argument about something with that guy, and then he beat him up like he was in a trance – some punches went here and here.” Nino pointed at his head and ears, and Ohno flinched. “And the poor guy was deaf now and he dropped off from college. The matter was brought to the police, and they went through trials, but in the end the case was dropped because both families want to settle the matter _peacefully_.”

“Peacefully?”

“Matsumoto Jun is rich.” Aiba added softly. “It seems his family paid a great deal of money to the guy’s family so he doesn’t have to be jailed.”

“He was being held back from the college for a semester, but he’s back now.” Nino turned to glare at Jun menacingly, and Ohno looked at him too. He watched as Jun returned the book back into the rack, and then he left with his head hung low; some heads turned to stare at him as he walked by them, and for a moment, Ohno pitied him. “He looked sad.” He commented.

“Serves him right.” Nino mumbled. “He beat someone to the point that he got deaf, for god sake. And who knows what else he’s doing – he hung out with the worst peer possible in this college, they probably went for a cocaine party once a week.”

“Nino.” Aiba chided him gently, and Nino frowned, but his shoulder finally dropped in defeat and he didn’t look that tense anymore. Aiba turned to Ohno then, and he spoke gently, “I think it’s better not to get too close with him, Oh-chan. We’re worried that he is… well… We just love you too much, okay?”

“I know.” Ohno said, and then to ease the mood between them, he gave a small smile. “And there’s no way he’s interested in me anyway – he said himself that I looked like someone he knew.”

Nino shook his head. “Oh-chan, sometimes you’re too oblivious on how painfully cute you are.” He sighed dramatically while Ohno couldn’t help but blush a bit at Nino’s words. “But well, even if he is, it’s not like he got a chance with you – you have Sho-chan after all.”

Ohno’s smile faltered a bit.

“Yeah, you have Sho-chan after all!” Aiba repeated the words more energetically. “It’s been a while since we last see him – can we play to your house when he’s around?”

“I’ll call you guys then.” Ohno mumbled; he grabbed his trolley and he started pushing them forward again. “I hope you guys bring back some hamburgers for me?”

“We do.” Aiba said as taunted Ohno with the paper bag he was holding; “And if you aren’t finished in 10 minutes, we’ll eat them.”  
  
That’s all the motivation Ohno need to hurry off and finish his job, and the weird encounter he had with Matsumoto Jun was pushed to the back of his mind.

***

Dinner was lovely, as always.

His mom made chicken _katsu_ for tonight, and even though Ohno was already full from the burgers he had eaten with his friends, he munched on them quietly as his father launched on a rant about annoying client he encountered at his office. His mother listened to his father’s rant whole-heartedly, sometimes throwing comments here and there when deemed necessary, while Ohno decided to keep to himself anyway, since he knew his father just wanted them to listen. After a while, his father’s rage was finally gone, and after taking a deep breath, he smiled towards Ohno and asked affectionately, “How was your day, my boy?”

Ohno smiled almost automatically, and he started telling them about his day – minus Matsumoto Jun, since he was almost sure his parents would probably remove them from the college if they knew there was someone dangerous wandering around there, and he has actually _touched_ him. He just told them about his classes, his new art project, his boring job at the library; his parents’ eyes were always fixed on him no matter how boring his story was, and Ohno could always feel their love for him overflowing especially at moments like this, and that in itself was something to be grateful for, something that he didn’t quite do these days. “…and that’s it.” He said, finishing his story, before he turned to his mother. “How about you, mom?”

His mother leaped to her feet with a beaming smile. “Sho-kun dropped by this evening and he gave us _baumkuchen_! Wait up; I’ll cut it for you to eat!” Ohno watched his mother going around the kitchen energetically, preparing the tea for them and cutting the green tea _baumkuchen_ for them while Ohno processed the bits of information his mother gave him.

Sho has come back from his business trip.

He smiled once more as his mother took away their plates and put it into the sink, and then she replaced it with small plates of _baumkuchen_ for the three of them along with glasses of tea before he finally sat back on her seat. “I’ve told him jokingly that I wanted this when he went to Kyoto, but I couldn’t believe that he bought it for real for me!” His mother gushed with a bright smile on her face. “He is such a gentleman, that kid.”

Ohno’s father smiled as he cut the _baumkuchen_ with small fork, and then he popped it into his mouth. “And very knowledgeable too; I missed talking to him. Why didn’t you ask him to stay for dinner, dear?”

“I did, but Sho-kun said he already promised to have dinner together with his family – can’t blame him, since he’s been away for nearly a month.” Her mother said with a sigh. “But I’ll ask him again tomorrow – I bet he’d be thrilled, he missed Satoshi too after all.”

Ohno could feel their eyes turned to him, and he knew they were staring at him with hopeful eyes, so he ducked his head even lower, pretending to be fascinated with the cake as he mumbled, “I missed him too.”

And he did. He _really_ did.

“Well then, tomorrow I’ll ask him to come by!” His mother clapped her hands happily. “Or maybe, you could ask him for us?”

“Sure, mom.”

“Also, ask him what he wants to eat.”

“Sure.” Ohno said, though knowing Sho, he was almost positive the guy wouldn’t request for anything, and in the end it’d be him who requested for a certain food – probably sushi. “I’ll ask him.”

“Good boy.” His mother said as she reached out to pat his cheek slightly, before then she was back to her shares of cake. “I love that kid so much.”

Ohno grimaced.

The dinner went like that, and after finishing his cake, Ohno took a quick shower and opted to go back to his room instead of lounging in the couch with his parents; they had asked him to stay, but Ohno said he got homework to do, and they finally let him go.

In all honesty, he didn’t have any homework to do.

But he knew that Sho’d come. He came back after a month away after all, and it’d be stupid if he didn’t come – they were neighbors, and Sho’s room was exactly in front of Ohno’s room, only separated for a meter or two from each other’s verandas. Sho used to sneak into his room; it was easy to do, really, because Sho always kept a small ladder on his verandas, and so whenever he wanted to come to Ohno’s room, he’d just spread them into his verandas, and he’d crawl over them shakily, because he was actually afraid of heights, and yet he’d do it anyway.

Today, Ohno caught him in action.

He grinned as he saw Sho slowly crawling over the ladder; locking the door behind him, Ohno moved to his window and opened it, and the cold air of February hit him as he did so. Sho looked up when Ohno stepped into the veranda, and he grinned weakly. “Help?”

Ohno chuckled as he held the ladder to make it steadier; Sho quickly crawled over and hopped into his veranda, and then he straightened himself to make him appear brave, though Ohno still could see the slight tremor on his hands. “Hi.” Sho breathed out with a grin. “Long time no see, cousin.”

Ohno grinned back; they were really that, cousin. Sho’s father was the older brother of Ohno’s mother, and since they were living so close, it was a given that they grew to be so close like this.

So close to the point that Ohno let him when Sho scooped him up back into the room, threw him into his bed, and then climbed over him to kiss him briefly on the lips.

“Eager, aren’t we?” Ohno mumbled, and Sho laughed quietly.

“I missed you.” He admitted, though later he settled his forehead against Ohno’s nape instead, breathing in his scent and making Ohno glad that he took a shower already. “It’s been a month, Satoshi-kun. Don’t _you_ miss me?”

“Nope.” Ohno replied playfully. “I got Aiba-chan and Nino at my disposal.”

“Oh, them.” Sho said with a grin. “I brought some souvenirs for them too; you should call them over.”

“Now?”

“Not now.” Sho tightened his grip around his body. “I just want to be with you now.”

“Okay.” Ohno whispered, and he stayed still as Sho hugged him closer, eyes wandering to his ceiling where tons of little fishes figure were hanging from them. He started counting them quietly inside his head, but he didn’t get that far because Sho finally rolled away to stare and propped himself up with his elbow, eyes staring at him as he asked, “How was your day?”

Ohno almost rolled his eyes – almost. He didn’t understand why everyone wanted to know about his day; if anything, Ohno should’ve been asking about Sho’s trip instead. “It was fine. Boring, even. But oh, I met this interesting guy at the library today.”

“Oh?” Sho perked up. “Do tell me about him.”

“He looked like a model.” Ohno said, carefully planning the words so he didn’t have to give away the fact that he was _bad_ in every way possible. “Or maybe he is a model, I don’t know, but he’s very charming, you know? He almost looked like a doll, with these marble-like eyes, and when he speak–“

“Should I be worried?” Sho asked, and this time Ohno finally tore his eyes away from the fishes to gaze at Sho’s alarmed eyes. “Should I?”

_We aren’t even dating_ , Ohno had wanted to say, but he refrained himself for saying that, because judging by the worried expressions on Sho’s face, that wasn’t something he would want to hear – and Ohno also wasn’t eager for a confession tonight. “Mom asked me to invite you for dinner tomorrow.” He said, “My parents loved you so much, and honestly? That guy will never be able to win my parents heart.” Which was true, especially if they learned about his background.

“Huh.” Sho looked proud at that, and he relaxed even the slightest, but then he asked again, “Will he ever be able to win your heart then?”

Ohno stared at him, and he took Sho’s whole feature in. He was handsome – not in the model-like as Matsumoto was, but he still was handsome in his own way. He was manly, polite, composed, and he was a true gentleman to the core; he was also very smart too, and he was one of the reason why Ohno managed to pass some of the hardest tests in his life safely – Sho was always there to tutor him, gently, of course. Added that to the fact that he was also his cousin and their families are very close to each other, Sho was an obvious end for him. Ohno could picture what his parents and friends see whenever they were together, ‘ _they are in love_ ’, or ‘ _they are perfect for each other_ ; Ohno have seen it a lot, have also heard it a lot coming from everyone that saw them together, even Nino and Aiba were rooting for his relationship with Sho too, or the lack of it.

And it was easy to imagine Sho as his end, easy to imagine him marrying Sho in a few years to come; he’d probably marry him after he graduated, and then he’d move out to life with him, adopted some kids and raised them in an apartment somewhere in the middle of Tokyo with Sho providing for them by working in a big-shot company. If he was lucky, maybe he could postponed the marriage for much later since he had wanted to study abroad but it seemed unlikely, judging by how eager his parents were with the prospect of having Sho as their son too.

Ohno actually didn’t mind it. He didn’t mind having Sho as his husband, but what he minded was how everyone wanted them to be together, how everyone seemed to want it to become real. It annoyed him whenever they talked as if it was obvious Ohno’d end up with him, as if it was obvious that Ohno’d choose him no matter what.

But if he pushed away all those things, and just see Sho as he was, then he didn’t mind at all. Besides, it’d make his parents happy, so why not, right? It was also obvious that Sho loved him, and he would never be mistreated. He would never.

Ohno reached up to brush his fingers against Sho’s cheeks, and he smiled softly. “He isn’t going to win my heart. He’s just a sculpture someone from art department left in the library.” He joked.

Sho smiled at that, and he took Ohno’s hand to hold it tightly on his. “I’m glad.” He whispered, and then he kissed his hand softly. “I’m glad that he isn’t going to win your heart.”

Ohno closed his eyes as Sho leaned in for another kiss, but then he wondered how much of it was true anyway, because he remembered Matsumoto’s pained, beautiful brown eyes in the darkness as his lips were stolen by someone else.

And he felt something in his heart shifted.

 


	3. Chapter 3

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> He isn’t going to kill me right? He isn’t going to beat me up in this empty classroom right? God, Satoshi, why are you so stupid? Why choosing an empty classroom of all the places you could ever choose? How did he find you anyway???

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Unbetaed.

Matsumoto Jun was stubborn, though not as stubborn as Aiba and Nino combined.

Still, he was stubborn. Despite how Nino had harshly called him off, he still showed up at the library the following day. And then the day after that. And the whole weeks after that too. He made it seemed like he was a regular at that library, even when he wasn’t. He showed up whenever Ohno’s shift started, choosing random books from the shelves, and then he’d sit in the table in the corner of the library until Ohno’s shift ended, surrounded by books that he didn’t really touch, let alone read. Most of the time, he’d work on his homework, but when he didn’t have any, he’d make this barrier of books on the table, giving Ohno a headache because he knew that in the end, Jun wouldn’t return them to their respective shelves. But Ohno actually enjoyed it, because Jun picked the most random book possible; he once laughed out loud when Jun stacked the book about the tough and brave women in World War II with this romantic, trashy chick-lit about a girl who couldn’t make her mind between two ridiculously handsome boys.

So when the next day he saw Jun picking up lots of books from the shelves, Ohno couldn’t help but grin.

Their interaction stayed that way for weeks because Nino and Aiba were persistent on not letting Ohno having a talk with him. Even though he knew that his friends didn’t like to hang out at the library that much, they did anyway; Nino’d usually play with his DS while Aiba’d read his manga, but their eyes would never left Ohno. Whenever Ohno made a round in the library, they followed behind him, making it seemed like they were chatting happily while Ohno knew that it was all just a scheme. Whenever Ohno was done returning the books and just have to wait by the counter until his shift was over, they’d drag the chairs to the counter to keep him company – or to keep him away from Jun, he wasn’t sure. Sometimes while chatting, Nino’d casually (he didn’t know how he did this) drop a little fact about Jun here and there, something like, “I heard Jun was very rude – a lecturer once cried because he snapped at her” or “Speaking about mafia, there’s a rumor that Jun’s father is a _yakuza_.”

Ohno could only rolled his eyes; he’d love to tell Nino that his brainwashing was not effective at all, because every time Jun left, he’d eagerly took the books he had left and secretly laughed at the random titles, and all bad things about Jun that Nino had tried to stuff to his head was all gone. This man got some great humor sense going on, and the bad attitude seemed mismatched; sometimes Ohno wasn’t even sure that they were talking about the same man, because the impression was totally different in Ohno’s mind.

Still, Ohno said nothing to his friends; he just nodded and went along with it.

One day though, Jun upped their little interaction. Ohno was busy taking care of the books he had left behind, silently giggling at the titles, when he saw a small post-it being plastered on one of the book’s back cover. Looking around to make sure that his friends weren’t looking his way, Ohno ducked his head to read the note, his heart speeding up at the unfamiliar handwriting.

_Don’t your bodyguards ever take a break? They’re so tense; even I’m getting tired of seeing them around.  
J._

Ohno smiled at that; there was no doubt that Jun was referring to his friends, meaning that all this time, he has been watching over them silently too. Ohno wondered if he should take this notes away and keep it, but then he pulled out a pen and scribbled an answer on the empty space.

 _They’re taking a break whenever I’m not on my shift; tomorrow is one of those days._  
I’ll be painting somewhere in this college.  
O. 

Once done, Ohno quickly plastered it again on the same book and then he put them back in their shelves; there was a chance that the book would be taken from someone else, and if Jun ever gotten his hands on it, there was still a chance for him to never find Ohno, because whenever Ohno said _somewhere_ , he meant it literally. He could be painting anywhere, at the most unexpected places, and there was a chance that Jun wouldn’t meet him.

But it seemed safer that way, because as much as he wanted to talk to him, there was a part of him that still doubted him either – this part of him was clearly there because of all the brainwashing Nino did to him, he was sure of that.

So Ohno left the book to where it was belong; he stared at it for a long while, weighing whether he should hide it even deeper or not so other people wouldn’t find it, but then he decided against it, and slowly, he made his way back to his friends.

A part of him wished that Jun would never find it.

A part of him wished he would.

***

A player hit the ball.

Ohno watched as the ball fly through the golden sky; it was a very nice evening, and he was seated in an empty classroom by the window, enjoying the wind as he watched the baseball club practicing on the ground. Beside him, an empty canvas stood in silence, waiting for him to get inspired and started something, but today, Ohno didn’t really feel like creating anything. He has been here for an hour, staring outside the window without even touching his pencil to draw something. He convinced himself that it was because he didn’t have any inspiration, but he knew that he was lying; he couldn’t concentrate enough because he was wondering whether Jun’d find him or not.

 And it was stupid, really. Their college was big enough to get lost in it and never return, and finding someone in it was always a pain; that, and also the fact that Jun might have never find the book. Or he did, but he wasn’t willing to go at such length to seek Ohno out.

Which, if that was the case, then Ohno’d bury himself in embarrassment.

He glanced at his clock; it was 5 pm already, and he thought of going home. Usually, Aiba would drive him home, but since today he decided to be alone, both his friends has gone on a date, and so Ohno would have to just ride the train…at their busiest hours.

Well. Maybe another hour then.

He was changing his position beside the window and stretching a bit when suddenly the door slide opened, to his surprise.

And Jun stood there, with a smile on his rather red face, looking as stylish as ever today even though he was just wearing a black v-neck with jeans and sneakers.

“Found you.” He said breathlessly in a sing-song tone, and Ohno watched silently as Jun slide the door closed and locked it. “I’ve been looking for you everywhere; can’t you be more specific?”

And all of the sudden his worries rocketed to the sky.

_He isn’t going to kill me right? He isn’t going to beat me up in this empty classroom right? God, Satoshi, why are you so stupid? Why choosing an empty classroom of all the places you could ever choose? How did he find you anyway???_

“Hey, relax.” Jun said, bringing him back from his internal panicking. “I’m not going to hurt you or anything like that.”

Ohno felt his cheeks flushed from having his thoughts being exposed like that; it lasted only for a second though, because soon guilt started replacing that. Staring at Jun like this, he could immediately tell that even though he tried to look nonchalant, it must’ve hurt him that he had to reassure someone every time he wanted to talk to them; all because of that mistake he did and the stupid, ridiculous rumors that came along with it (like _yakuza_ ; seriously?). “I’m sorry.” He said softly. “I didn’t mean to – I guess I can’t help but worry, more so because people only badmouthed you all day.”

“And you believe them?” Jun asked, and despite his stoic face, Ohno could tell that he was going to leave the moment Ohno said yes.

So instead, Ohno threw him a smile – it surprised him how nerve-wrecking a smile could be – and then he said, “Not until I heard it from you.”

It seemed like Jun wasn’t expecting that answer, because for a moment, he looked lost. Ohno wondered when was the last time someone decided to trust him, to the point that when someone did, he looked completely lost. Making sure that the smile was still etched on his face, Ohno dragged one of the empty chair to where he sit, putting them close but not too close, and then he looked up at Jun. “Let’s talk.”

The way Jun smiled was almost child-like – his face simply brightens, and he wasted no time to sit beside Ohno, not worrying about his eagerness showing.  “Hey.” He said once he was seated beside Ohno.

“Hey.” Ohno replied, and then they giggled – it was stupid, really, and Ohno felt like they were as stupid as those teenagers in the chick-lit Jun used to read, no, compiled. But it helped with the mood. He could see that Jun was more laid-back now, he leaned against his seat, crossed his legs, and then he looked at Ohno expectantly. “So, I wanted to talk to you about things.”

“Okay.”

“First of all, I’m sorry for scaring you out back then.” He said nervously, his hand reaching up to rub the back of his neck. “I wasn’t trying to hit on you; I really thought you were someone else.”

“…Okay.” Ohno said, unsure on what to make out of it. Jun seemed to realize it though, and he quickly added, “Not that I won’t hit on you, of course. I would, for God sake, I would. I just wasn’t doing it last time.”

Ohno smiled sheepishly, somewhat happy for that clarification. “Okay.” He said again. “And don’t worry, you’re not scaring me.”

“Yeah, I can see that it wasn’t what scared you.” Jun tilted his head back, and he huffed as he said this, “You’re more scared about the rumor.”

“Is that just a rumor?” He asked carefully, and his stomach dropped when Jun shook his head slowly, solemnly.

“I beat him for real.” He admitted, his eyebrows furrowed deeply as he said that. “There was a reason for it, of course, but he didn’t deserve that… Well, he deserved to get beaten, but not until, well…”

“Do you feel guilty about it?”

Jun turned to him, blinked, and then he quietly said, “For beating him? No. For making him deaf? Yes.”

The air turned heavy after that; Jun was looking down at his sneakers now, while Ohno was still trying to process everything. So he did beat that guy for real; it should’ve scared him, but if anything, Ohno felt something akin to relief – he was glad that Jun was being honest with him, even though not completely. But to know that Jun was feeling guilty made him trust him even more; it made him realized that Jun would never hurt him, like he said. “I want to ask you something.”

Jun tensed up. “What?”

“Is it true that your father is a _yakuza_?”

Jun immediately cracked up; his laughter was contagious, really, and Ohno found himself chuckling along, while silently patting himself on the back for being able to make the loner laugh.

“God, no. Who told you that?” Jun said between his laughter. “My father works in a company – that has nothing to do with the underground world like _yakuza_.”

“That’s a relief. I was scared if that’s true.”

“Don’t worry, I’m not a gangster or a mafia or a _yakuza_ ; I’m just…me.” He finished up as he grinned to Ohno. “Hope you don’t mind with just me.”

“I prefer just you, Matsumoto-kun –“

“Jun.” He said. “Call me Jun.”

“Jun…kun.” Ohno added the suffix in the end, because otherwise it’d be too weird to call his first name just like that. “And you can call me Oh-chan, if you want.”

“Ah, but that’s what your bodyguards calls you, isn’t it?” Jun smirked. “I’d rather call you something else.”

“Like?”

“Satoshi?”

Ohno tried to stop the shiver that was running through his body, but it couldn’t be helped. He hugged himself as the warmth came rushing through, unable to speak or think since he was overwhelmed by how it affected him so much. Jun seemed to have a different idea though; he frowned, then after a moment, he looked a bit sad as he said, “Ah, of course I can’t call you that. You have a boyfriend.”

That helped stopping the shiver, though Ohno didn’t like the way it made him feel guilty, like he was doing something as bad as cheating – he wasn’t though, since he wasn’t in any relationship. “I don’t have a boyfriend.” He explained. “I do have someone close to me, but we’re not in a relationship.”

At this, Jun perked up. He sat a little straighter on his seat. “But do you like him? Are you after him?”

Ohno couldn’t really answer that. Did he? Saying no was absolutely ridiculous, because of course Ohno liked Sho, but he wasn’t really after him, wasn’t he? Sho was already _there_ , placed in front of him like a wrapped gift – he didn’t have to run after him anymore. “I…don’t know.”

“That’s good.” Jun said instead as he tilted his head. “That’s good if you don’t know – I still have my chance then.”

Before Ohno could properly respond to that, Jun had already turned his attention to the empty canvas. He reached forward, fingers running to the surface of the canvas, before then he finally turned around. “You said you’re going to paint something.” Jun said, half-accusing.

“I am, but I don’t have any inspiration for now.” He said with a sigh; he started moving the canvas from the easel and put it in the floor, knowing that he wouldn’t get any drawing done, he wouldn’t even sketch anything. He started packing back the brushes and paints back into his backpack, when Jun suddenly chirped up.

“Would you like to have dinner with me tonight?”

“Huh?” Ohno looked at him in a surprise. “Dinner?”

“Yup! I know some restaurant with great view – you might get inspired in the end.” He leaped to his feet energetically, and then he stared down at Ohno with a smile. “Also, I’d like to treat you as my way to apologize for my bad first impression.”

Ohno stared at him; he wasn’t sure whether to take the offer or not because really, it was a bad idea. He could imagine the look on Nino and Aiba’s face if they ever find out; they’d probably even lock him down at home then, or putting a leash around him so they could always keep him close. They’d definitely talk nonstop about how dangerous it was to go with Jun, over and over again. “I can’t believe you did this.” Nino would say. “I can’t believe you.”

 _Yeah, I can’t believe myself either_.

“Satoshi?” Jun said tentatively, as if tasting how his name felt on his tongue. “You don’t want to?”

Ohno licked his dry lips, and then he found himself smiling as he said,

“Sure. Why not?”

***

Jun wasn’t kidding when he said he knew restaurant with great views.

Ohno couldn’t stop staring at the stretching sea in front of his eyes; the sun was setting in the distance, and the sky was glowing, transitioning from orangeish to dark blue, blending together into a breathtaking shade of purple. The salty wind was blowing slowly, teasingly, and Ohno inhaled them with a small smile on his face, knowing that he’d recall this addicting scent of sea and salt before going to bed tonight.

“Do you like this place?”

He didn’t want to tear away his eyes from the sea, but he wanted to show how grateful he was, so he turned to face Jun, who was smiling gently at him, waiting for an answer. Ohno gulped. “I love it.”

“Thanks god.” Jun replied, before then he turned his attention back to the menu. “This seaside restaurant not only has the best view, but their foods are also very delicious; try their fish and chips.”

“I’d like that.” Ohno said, not really caring on what to eat as he turned his face to the sea again. “And for the drink, if they have lemon squash –“

“Consider it done.” Jun called for the waitress and ordered their food with Ohno only half-listening and half-mumbling when Jun asked him whether he wanted to order anything else. He didn’t miss the way the waitress blinked her eyes a little bit too fast while taking the orders though, and it was so hilarious that Ohno couldn’t help but biting his lips, holding back his laughter when it was clear that Jun didn’t care about her and couldn’t wait to dismiss her when he was done ordering. When Jun caught a glimpse of his face, the man raised his eyebrow, “What?”

“She’s trying to hit on you.” Ohno pointed out with a giggle. “She’s batting her eyelashes all the time; it’s quite funny.”

“Is she?” Jun looked behind him for a few seconds before turning back to face Ohno. “Nope, not interested.”

“Not pretty enough?”

“I prefer guys.” Jun deadpanned.

At that, Ohno only laughed harder. “Me too.”

“I know.” Jun replied with a smirk. “I saw how you looked at me.”

At that, Ohno’s laughter died down. He fixed his posture, and he leaned forward across the table. “How?” He whispered, afraid that he was giving too much by the way he looked at him. But then again, he wasn’t even sure how, exactly, did he look at Jun. He could only hope it was an appropriate kind of stare.

Jun leaned forward too, and all of sudden they were _too_ close; Ohno could see the moles in his face clearly, the mischievous twinkling of his brown eyes, the fleeting scent of his perfume –

“That’s only for me to enjoy, Satoshi.”

The shivers were back again. Ohno could feel them crawl under his skin, spreading through his body like fire, and he was pretty sure that his cheeks were giving his feelings away; even without touching it, he could tell that his cheeks were burning.

And by the way Jun was grinning, Ohno could tell that he was _enjoying_ this, that asshole.

Ohno struggled to say something, _anything,_ so Jun wouldn’t be the one that was having the last words. But of course the waitress has to come at that time; of course she had to cleared her throat loudly, making them break apart nervously while the waitress placed their drinks with a scowl in her face.

The funny thing was, Jun scowled back at her.

That helped a lot actually; once she walked away, Ohno started laughing, and then Jun followed too, his voice a little bit too loud, but he didn’t mind at all. It surprised him how easy it was to be around Jun – sure, sometimes he felt a little weirded out, and he hated whenever Jun managed to make him shivered, but aside from that, he was completely rest assured that Jun was…normal. Seeing him smiling and laughing like that, he looked perfectly normal, and Ohno swore he was going to change how Nino and Aiba saw him; it wasn’t fair if he was alienated because he made a mistake, in which he was already feeling guilty enough by it – they didn’t have the right to punish him too.

“What are you thinking, Satoshi?” Jun called out, and Ohno was snapped out of his train of thoughts. “You looked like you’re going somewhere else just now.”

 “I’m just thinking about what a great guy you are.” He said slowly, fingers playing with the straw of his lemon squash. “And how you didn’t deserve to be treated that way.”

“What way?”

“Casted away.” Ohno met his gaze nervously. “I could see that, well, people didn’t like to be around you. They pushed you away, and I think it’s not fair. I mean, I’m not going to justify your action; you are wrong, as you admitted so, but at the very least, you’re beating yourself for it too. And that, in itself, are enough punishment.”

Jun’s lips was pursed into a tight line and his eyebrows furrowed deeply as he looked away to the darkened sky; he stayed that way for a long time, and Ohno knew then that he had hit a nerve. He opened his mouth to apologize, but Jun beat him into it.

“I have friends too, you know. They are not in the same faculty as me, so we couldn’t hang out that often, more so when they’re preparing to graduate. But still, I have friends – Toma and Shun. The two of them stick with me despite the bad reputation I get, and that helped a lot.” He turned towards Ohno with a small, sad smile. “It was tough, but they stay with me, so I managed, somehow.”

“They sounded nice.” Ohno said sincerely, and Jun nodded happily at that.

“They are; I dare say that they’re as nice as your bodyguards.” Before Ohno could reply, he added. “And then, there’s also you.”

Jun reached out slowly, and even though he felt like he should’ve stopped him, he didn’t. He let Jun took his hand, holding it on the table loosely, but it was enough to make his heart flutter.

“Thank you.” Jun said; the words were so gently whispered and the crowded restaurant threatened to drown the words out, but Ohno didn’t miss it – he couldn’t miss it for the world. “Thank you very much, Satoshi. It means a lot to me.”

The waitress came with their foods, but they didn’t let go.

They didn’t.

***

Ohno was in trouble once he got home.

He forgot to tell his parents that he was out with Jun, and since his phone was on silent, he didn’t hear them calling. That has clearly sent his parents on hysteria because when Jun dropped him off on the driveway, he saw Aiba’s car, and by putting one and two together, he could tell that his parents has probably called them.

A look on his phone and the endless missed calls from his parents and friends, Ohno was almost certain now that he was in trouble.

Jun could probably sense it, because he stared at Ohno, and then at his driveway, and he asked, “Are you in trouble?”

“Yeah.” Ohno mumbled as he put his phone between his legs. “I forgot to tell my parents that I will go out for dinner.”

“You’re an adult, aren't you?”

“I’m their only kid.” Ohno shrugged as he took his backpack and slung it across his shoulder.

“That explained why everyone is so protective towards you.” Jun grinned, but even Ohno could tell that he was feeling a bit responsible with what happened. “Should I go and explain to your parents?”

Ohno was totally horrified with the idea; his friends were there after all, and if they saw Jun, they could probably tell his parents about Jun’s background and banning him from meeting him ever again.

Also, Sho’d probably be there too.

Ohno rubbed his forehead in annoyance as he shook his head. “No. No, it’s better if you just go.”

“But –“

“Please. It’d be better that way.” Ohno said; he twisted on the seat and he reached to the backseat to get his canvas. “I’m sorry.”

“No problem.” Jun mumbled, but then he added, “Can I ask for your number then?”

“Huh?”

“So I can make sure that you’re okay, and that they aren’t grounding you or something. Besides, I don’t feel like communicating with you via notes in the library when you have a phone.” Jun snatched his phone from his seat and he inserted his number there. After a while, his phone ring, and he returned his phone. “I’ll text you tonight.”

Ohno took his phone back, holding it tightly on his hand as he nodded. “Okay.”

“You know, usually at times like this, people parted with a kiss.”

“I don’t have time for a kiss, I’m in big trouble.” Ohno replied bluntly as he stuffed his phone back into his pocket, but it was because his heart started thumping too loudly, and he wasn’t sure if it was because for the promise of a kiss or because he really was in a big trouble; probably the first. “After I go out, I need you to immediately go, okay? Don’t wait until I get inside.”

“Fine.” Jun huffed, and he unlocked the door. “See you later.”

“Yeah, see you. Thanks for tonight.” Ohno stalled for a moment, but then he finally grab the handle and went outside, into the cold night. As promised, Jun quickly started his car again and drove away, not giving Ohno a chance to take a glimpse of his expression anymore. Sighing, he walked to his house, taking his sweet time on getting to the front door, before he finally opened the unlocked door. “ _Tadaima._ ” He called out.

Her mother immediately appeared in the doorway, her face was a mix of fear and worries, and Ohno felt bad almost immediately when she approached him. “Where have you been?!” She screamed.

He blinked; his mother has never raised her voice before. He looked past her shoulder to see his father and his friends and Sho coming out from the kitchen, all of them looking worried too, though not as hysterical as his mother. “I’m sorry, I was going out with my friend, and I forgot to tell you.” He said quietly.

“With who?” His mother pressed, and Ohno was raking his brain for other names his mother known of when Nino made a little, gasping sound.

He knew.

Everyone’s eyes were at Nino at once, but Nino was staring at Ohno, and Ohno, too, was frantically begging with his eyes, willing for him to never say Jun’s name, ever. “Kazu?” His mother called Nino out by his first name. “What’s wrong?”

“Ah. No. I…I think I know who he went along with.” Nino said, eyes shifting between Ohno and his mother.

“Oh? Who?”

 _Please Nino, please don’t_.

Nino stared at him like he was going to say, _I can’t believe you_.

“It must be Shige-kun!” Aiba broke the heavy silence, and Ohno turned to his angel-like friends. “I remember just now – he’s in the same class as you, right? And if I’m not wrong you guys are working on the art project together!”

Nino stared at his boyfriend like he was going to say, _I can’t believe you either._

At any other time, Ohno’d laugh at the face Aiba was making while he was lying; his eyes were dilated and he was blinking too much and he started sweating, but now, he couldn’t find it in himself to laugh. Instead, he nodded vigorously; glad for the lie Aiba provided him with. “Yes, I was out with Shige-kun for our art project – we’ve been hunting for places with great views!”

His mother was still suspicious, he could tell, but she finally turned back to Aiba and shook her head. “You should’ve told me before, Masaki-kun.”

“S-sorry. I forgot.”

“It’s okay.” His mother dismissed him. “Anyway, Satoshi. You should’ve called us. Do you know how worried we are? We thought something bad happened to you – we almost asked Sho’s father to look for you.”

Ohno cringed – asking Sho’s father was really taking it too much. Sho’s father worked in a police department, and his position was one with a great influence, and Ohno was pretty sure that if asked, he’d probably send polices out to look for him, which was embarrassing and unnecessary as hell. “I’m sorry, mom, I really forgot. But seriously, I’m an adult now, and I can take care of myself just fine.”

His mother frowned. “But Satoshi, we’re just really worried –”

“Nothing bad will happen to me, mom. It’s not like someone will kidnap me or anything.”

He meant it as a joke, but his mother expression was so horrified it almost looked like Ohno just slapped her across her face. He fidgeted nervously, unsure on why his mother looked so shocked like that, when his father finally spoke, “Satoshi, go to your room now.”

Ohno looked up at his father, and he saw the same horrified look, but his was masked in anger. “But –“

“Go to your room right now.”

“It’s not fair!” Ohno tried to argue. “I’m not a kid anymore, I’m –“

“You’re living under my roof and as long as you’re here, you’ll listen to me!” His father bellowed, surprising everyone in the room. “Go to your room. Now!”

Ohno’s cheeks flushed with embarrassment; he finally pushed forward while keeping his eyes down, too angry to even look at any of them in the eyes. He bumped into Sho while trying to make his way upstairs, but he didn’t stop to apologize, not even when Sho was calling his name out softly. He just marched upstairs and slammed the door behind him. He threw the canvas and his backpack carelessly to the floor, and then he locked his door and his window and drawn the curtain, because he didn’t want anyone to bother him. Once done, he finally threw himself to the bed, burying himself under the pillows as he felt tears pricking his eyes. That was really unexpected – sure, he expected his parents to be angry at him because this was the very first time he had ever done this, but it didn’t make sense how his parents seemed to be so afraid with him going out without noticing them like that. He knew that he was their only son, but their protectiveness towards him was too much – it was too stifling.

It was almost as if they were afraid of something else.

Someone knocked on his door, but Ohno didn’t bug. He stayed on his bed until the knocking on his door was gone, and he stayed on his bed when someone was knocking on his window – probably Sho. Sho was more persistent though, and even though he wasn’t knocking anymore, Ohno could tell that he was sitting on the veranda, waiting for him. Sighing, Ohno finally moved from his bed and opened the curtain, though he didn’t unlock the window. Sho turned around almost immediately, and he tilted his head as he mouthed, “Do you want to talk about it?”

Ohno shook his head. “I want to sleep.”

“Okay.” Sho mouthed. He gave Ohno a small smile, and then he finally stepped away. “Good night, Satoshi-kun.”

“Good night.” He whispered. He watched Sho crawling over the ladder again, and then he drawn the curtain shut, feeling bad for turning him away but at the same time, he really wasn’t in mood to talk to anyone else. He walked back to his bed and decided to just sleep it off, when he remembered about his phone and he took it out from his pocket.

There were some LINE notifications from Aiba and Nino, which he decided to ignore, and then there were messages from both Sho and Jun. He opened Sho’s first, and he read,

_I’m here if you want to talk about it. Just call me and I’ll be there._

He sighed heavily, and then he opened the one from Jun’s.

_I hope you’re okay. I feel bad for getting you in trouble, but I don’t regret taking you out for dinner._

That nagging feeling was there again; the guilt that made him feel as if he was cheating. But he wasn’t. He really wasn’t…right?

Ohno turned his phone off instead of answering, and then he put it on his nightstand.

He didn’t want to deal with any of it right now. He needed a break.


End file.
